


Brotherly Wisdom

by EverSparrow



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Brotherly Love, Fluff, Gift Giving, Hogwarts, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:21:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25985794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverSparrow/pseuds/EverSparrow
Summary: In which Albus Severus tries to win over Scorpius Malfoy, and is forced to turn to his last hope for advice: his brother.
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 11
Kudos: 83





	Brotherly Wisdom

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Written for QLFC Season 8 Round 8 as Keeper for the Magpies!  
> Word Count: 2538  
> Prompt: KEEPER - Platonic relationship: Albus Severus & James Sirius  
> Cross-posted on FFN under the same name

Albus Severus Potter is in love.

He doesn't want to be, of course. He doesn't know the first thing about how to ask someone out or how to buy them flowers or, god forbid, actually _kiss_ them. The very thought of it fills his stomach with butterflies. He's hopeless.

On this particular morning, a blustery September day at the beginning of Albus's fourth year, he has decided it is finally time to take action. There's no use in dancing around the fact any longer. He is well and truly head over heels, and it's way past time to do something about it.

However, there's one problem. Normally, if he needs help or advice, he goes straight to Scorpius Malfoy, and the two of them are normally able to come up with some half-passable solution. This time, though, Albus can't go to Scorpius, because it just so happens that Scorpius is the very person Albus is in love with.

This leaves him with one option, and although it pains Albus to think of it, he knows that there's only one person who can help him.

"I need your help, James." Albus takes a seat at the Gryffindor table next to his brother, James, who is deep in conversation with a giggling brunette and does not look very happy to be interrupted.

"I've told you, Al, I've forgotten everything about fourth year Transfiguration," James says, taking a huge crunching bite of a glossy red apple. "Can't you ask one of your little friends?"

"This isn't about _school_ ," Albus hisses, keeping his voice low so that the other students don't overhear. This is top secret information, after all. "This is about… something else."

"Well, what is it about?" James raises an eyebrow, obviously more invested in this conversation now that he knows it's not about academics. "Is it a boy? Oh, Merlin, please say it's a boy! You do not know how long I've waited to pass on my brotherly wisdom to you, mate."

"Yeah, it's a boy." Albus shifts uncomfortably, hoping his brother doesn't make a scene. This was a bad idea. This was absolutely a bad idea.

"Yes!" James shouts, but the dirty looks of about thirteen Gryffindor students make him regain his composure. Evidently, not all of James's housemates are thrilled to have a Slytherin sitting at their table. "This is _excellent_ , mate. You've come to the right place."

"I've got no clue how to begin," Albus admits, staring down at the table. His insides are a jumble of nerves, and he doesn't think he could eat even if he wanted to.

"Well, who's the lucky boy?" James leans his chin on his hand, staring straight at Albus with such a piercing gaze that it's a struggle for Albus to meet his eyes.

"Scorpius," Albus whispers, saying the name as low as is humanly possible.

"What?" James says loudly, attracting a few more scandalized looks. "Speak up, mate."

" _Scorpius_ ," Albus hisses, gesturing pointedly with his head to a blond-haired boy sitting at the end of the Slytherin table. James turns, sharply enough to make Scorpius notice the two boys staring at him, and he gives Albus a little wave from across the Great Hall, a confused smile on his face. "Damn it, James!" Albus returns the wave before ducking his head lower so that his face is hidden from view.

"Sorry," James says, still staring straight at Scorpius. "Well, I won't say I'm surprised, but what do you need me for? The two of you are close already, aren't you?"

"We've been friends forever, yes," Albus says, "but I've never brought up anything like _this_ to him before. I'm sure he doesn't feel the same way about me, anyway, and I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Well, never fear, little brother! James Potter is on the case." James folds his arms, scrutinizing the Slytherin table, and Albus peeks over the head of the Gryffindor in front of him to see Scorpius slathering jam onto his toast. "I've got more than enough experience when it comes to love."

"Is that so?" Albus snorts, and James gives him a shove.

"Yes, it is _so._ " James takes another bite of his apple, and Albus wonders if anyone in the history of the world has ever chewed as loud as his brother does. "Well, the first order of business is to buy him a gift. You need to make him feel _special_."

"Like what?" Albus frowns, looking at Scorpius. He doesn't know the first thing about buying gifts. "I could get him something from Uncle George's joke shop?"

"No, no, no!" James waves his hands, his voice taking on an extreme air of importance. "That is a gift for a _friend_ , Albus. A gift for a lover is completely different."

"Well, he's not really my lover yet, James." Albus sighs, utterly confused. Maybe James is the expert on these things.

"Not with that attitude, he isn't," James says, shaking his finger reprimandingly, and Albus rolls his eyes. "What you need is something like chocolates. Heart-shaped chocolates. Yes, that's perfect. Merlin, I'm brilliant."

"How original," Albus says skeptically, but chocolate does seem like a safe choice. "I could place a Honeydukes order?"

"Now you're thinking, little brother," James says. "Add in a note, too, something that says 'I like you but not in a weird way.'"

"What does that even mean?" Albus asks, shaking his head, and James rolls his eyes as if this is the simplest thing in the world.

"Oh, come on, Albus, surely you don't want _me_ to write your love note for you," James says, folding his arms. "Report back once he's gotten the gift, and we can initiate phase two."

"How many phases are there?" Albus asks nervously, and James laughs before turning back to the brunette he was speaking with earlier. "James? How many phases are there?" Albus asks again, but James ignores him. Albus sighs heavily, standing up from the Gryffindor table. What has he gotten himself into?

* * *

Three days later, the Honeydukes package comes in the mail.

Albus is sitting next to Scorpius and recounting a long story about the time his mother tried to teach him to fly a broom when the owls flood into the Great Hall, and suddenly Albus remembers what he's done.

"Hey, look!" Scorpius says, just as a tawny brown owl swoops down from above and deposits a bright purple box tied with green ribbon onto the table in front of him. "I never get mail!"

Albus's heart drops, plummeting to his very shoes. He's in trouble. Frantically, he searches the Gryffindor table for his brother, his mind going completely blank. Finally, his eyes fall on James, who grins at him and flashes a big thumbs up. Completely unhelpful.

"Al, look at this!" Scorpius has untied the green ribbon and is now taking out a large chocolate heart laced with pink frosting that sparkles brightly. "Wow, this is awesome!"

"Maybe you should wait until-" Albus begins, but it's too late: Scorpius has found the damned note. Albus watches helplessly as Scorpius's eyes skim the parchment, reading line after line of curling script.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I bought this chocolate for you in an attempt to tell you how I feel. We've been friends for a long time, but recently I've found that my feelings have changed._

_I like you, but not in a weird way. I like you a lot, actually. I think I might even love you._

It is then that Albus realizes the mistake he's made, and he wants to bash his head against the table. He's forgotten to sign his name at the end of the note.

"Wow," Scorpius says, handing Albus the note. "Can you believe it? I've actually got an admirer!"

"That's crazy," Albus says, his face draining of all color as he pretends to read the note. Every line sounds worse than the one before it. He can't tell Scorpius he was the one who wrote this! It's the worst love note ever written! Merlin, this was what he deserved for trusting James. _I like you, but not in a weird way._ What was he thinking?

"Hey, you alright, mate? You're looking pale," Scorpius says, the look of concern on his face making Albus's heart melt. He has to get out of here before he makes a complete fool out of himself.

"I'm fine," Albus says breathlessly. "But I- I think I should go to the hospital wing. Just in case."

"Oh," Scorpius says, his brow furrowed. "Here, let me walk you there."

"No!" Albus nearly shouts the words, flinching at the look of hurt on Scorpius's face. "No, that's fine. Thank you. I'll meet you at Potions."

* * *

Albus doesn't look back as he runs out of the Great Hall, abandoning Scorpius and the chocolate and that awful note. He needs James.

"What were you thinking?" James throws up his hands, pacing the small corridor exasperatedly. "Why didn't you tell him? You've ruined my master plan!"

"It all happened so fast!" Albus protests, running a hand through his hair. He hopes Scorpius doesn't walk down this hallway, or he'll really be in for it. "The note was terrible, James. Your _advice_ was terrible."

"Albus, I said write something _like_ 'I like you but not in a weird way'. How was I supposed to know you'd actually write that?" James shakes his head, taking a deep breath. "You know what? It's fine. Don't worry. We can fix this. When's your next Hogsmeade visit?"

"Thursday," Albus says, leaning against the wall, "why?"

"Because you're going to ask Scorpius to go to the Three Broomsticks with you. As a _date_." James turns to Albus, his expression completely serious. "This is the only chance we have to fix this."

"I can't do that!" Albus is shocked. Who does James think he is? "He'll say no! Or even worse, he'll say yes, and then I'll be tripping over my feet and saying the wrong thing and messing up just like I always do!"

"No," James says, putting his hands on Albus's shoulders. "You won't. And he's going to say yes, Al. Trust me. I know these things."

"But what if he doesn't?" Albus hasn't realized he's been holding so much inside of him until now, and he sort of half lowers himself and half crumples to the floor, his head in his hands. He feels tears prick the corners of his eyes against his will. "I'm scared, James. I don't want to lose him."

"Oh, Al." James sits down next to Albus, leaning his head back against the wall. "You're not going to lose him."

"He's the only friend I've got," Albus says quietly, staring out at the empty hallway and trying not to think about a life without Scorpius.

"Well, _that_ is definitely not true," James says, and Albus looks up at him, confused. "You've got me, Al, and you always will. The Potters stick together, remember?"

James holds out his fist and Albus bumps it with his own, and he doesn't know whether or not he wants to laugh or cry. It's not that he's never been close with James, but it's never been like this. Albus has never really relied on his brother for anything, and it feels nice to have someone he can count on, no matter what.

"Thanks, James." Albus takes a deep breath, wiping the tears from his eyes. "You're pretty good at this stuff, you know that?"

"Of course I do," James says, grinning at him, and Albus laughs. "Now, you've got a boy to ask out! There's no time to lose!"

"Wish me luck," Albus says, standing up, and James gives him another thumbs up.

"You don't need luck!" James waves him away as he gets to his feet. "You've got this! Go get him, Al."

With one last grin, Albus turns and heads down the corridor, taking a deep breath. James is right, he realizes, he doesn't need luck, not when he's got his brother on his side.

* * *

The next day at breakfast, Albus is ready. He's taken extra time to gel his hair and brush his teeth, and he has reminded himself sixteen times not to say "I like you but not in a weird way." By the time Scorpius reaches the Slytherin table, he's memorized his speech, but it all seems to leave his mind as the blond boy sits down next to him, a charming smile on his face.

"Hey, Al!" Scorpius grins at Albus, adjusting his Slytherin tie. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am, thanks," Albus says, taking a deep breath. "Can I ask you something? Promise not to say anything until I've finished."

"I won't," Scorpius says, looking at him suspiciously. "Does this have something to do with the chocolate?"

"What do you mean?" Albus blanches, and he tries to act nonchalant. Internally, he's having a mini breakdown.

"I know it was you who sent it, Al." Scorpius's smile softens, his face kind. "I'd recognize your handwriting from a mile away."

"Oh," is all Albus says, is all Albus _can_ say. This is not how he wanted this to go.

"You could have told me, you know." Scorpius doesn't take his eyes off Albus. "Because if you had told me it was you, then I could have said that I feel the same way."

"You do?" Albus nearly falls off the bench, his expression shocked. _He feels the same way?_

"Of course I do." Scorpius laughs, a beautiful, jubilant sound that warms Albus to his core. "I think, maybe, I might even love you. Too."

"Wow," Albus says, utterly speechless. Not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine this conversation taking this turn. "I don't suppose you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me on Thursday? Like, on a date?"

"I'd love to," Scorpius says, and Albus's heart nearly beats out of his chest as Scorpius takes his hand from underneath the table. "I'd really, really love to."

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!" a loud voice crows, and every head in the Great Hall turns to where James Potter is standing on the Gryffindor table, his arms raised in victory. "That's my brother, everyone! That's my little brother!"

"Oh, no," Albus says, trying to shrink into his seat, but James is now leading the entire Hall into a loud chorus of applause as chants of "Albus! Albus!" fill the room.

"Was he your wingman?" Scorpius asks, an amused smile on his face.

"Something like that," Albus says, utterly and completely embarrassed and also, at the same time, probably happier than he's ever been in his life.

"Well, I think we should give the people what they want," Scorpius says with a mischievous grin, and Albus barely has time to register his words before Scorpius is kissing him and the Great Hall erupts into applause and chants, James Potter loudest of all. It's the most magical thing Albus has ever experienced, and he never wants it to end, never wants to stop kissing Scorpius, not for a hundred thousand years.

Albus owes it all to his brother, he realizes, and he smiles against Scorpius's lips. Maybe he should ask James for advice more often.


End file.
